School Education for common men
School education has three levels @ primary, which is the first stage of compulsory education. Child in the age group of 6 to 10 years is covered in this category. In this age group child studies class from I to IV of the present system He is supposed to study and acquire the knowledge which normally is expect from the student on passing IV class exam.
Second stage is the lower secondary or upper primary, wherein child in age group of 11 to 13 years, is supposed to study in class from V to VIII of the present system. He is supposed to study and acquire knowledge which we normally expect from the students on passing VIII class exam.
Third stage is Secondary and Higher Secondary, wherein children in age group of 14 to 18 are supposed to study from IX, to XII classes of present system. In present system the child has to appear in two public exams @ S.S.C. and H.S.C. Exam. Shri Sibalji is the first person who visualized the redundancy of X exam (S.S.C. exam) and has pleaded for its abolition and starting of integrated studies of four years in faculty of children choice. In this stage the child has to pass the Exam at the end of fourth year, which at present is known as Higher Secondary exam conducted by the various centre and state Boards.
We all are fully aware of various drawbacks, deficiencies and corrupt practices prevailing in present education system which needs no comments here. What is the need of hour is to revamp present school education system right from first stage level to facilitate the implementation of RTE Ac successfully.
The Primary education is the first stage of compulsory education. It is preceded by pre-school or nursery education and is followed by secondary education. It is called first stage of education. It is also known as elementary education. Presently in our country the transition to secondary school or high school is somewhat arbitrary, solely depends on schools .There is no uniformity in assessing the Child’s competency. It is subjective based on each school’s own standards. Presently whether child has completed primary education, what is required, is that child must have studied and passes IV or V exam from Government recognized schools given by either Centre or state governments.
Major goals of primary education are achieving basic literacy and numeric amongst all pupils, as well as establishing foundations in science, geography, history, math, and social sciences. The relative priority of various areas, and methods used, to teach them, are an area of considerable political debate, which I am not going to discuss here, as they are irrelevant.
Typically, primary education is provided in schools, approved by either central are state governments where the children will stay in steadily advancing classes until they complete it and move on to high school/secondary school, and deemed to have completed secondary education once he passed the S.S.C exam conducted by various Boards established by state and central governments.
At primary level Children are usually placed in classes with one teacher who will primarily be responsible for their education and welfare for that year. This teacher may be assisted to varying degrees by specialist teachers in certain subject areas, often music or physical education. The continuity with a single teacher, gives an opportunity to build up a close relationship between child and teacher , is a notable feature of the primary education system in
Present scenario. Presently it is estimated there are 253 Millions students in age group of five to fourteen, who should go to schools. As against this only 220 millions go to school. What is disturbing aspect is that drop out ratio is 54 % before the student reach VIII class. 35 % are not in position to read and write. In other words around 110 million students remain illiterate. Presently schools which numbered at 7, 79,847, 31% have no teacher, 50% have one teacher. One can imagine the type education our children may be receiving. Moreover teachers teach only half the time. Subsidiaries provided by government reach only 50 % persons that too with influence. Presently about 30 % are below the poverty line and 80% income is between Rs.10000 to 20000/- We spend around 3.8 % of G.D.P. which is mainly corned by mostly urban population and persons having political clout. Villages, whose population constituted around 70%, hardly receive 25% of funds earmarked for education purpose. Secondly education funds have mutilated under so many schemes and grants that no one knows who is beneficiary. Besides that to get clearance to start new primary school, one has to approach not less than twenty agencies, ultimately the proposal going to Education Minister for final approval, where political and other considerations, rather than need, competency, capacity and ability, are deciding factors. I fail to understand why Minister’s approval is needed, especially for primary education wherein child is to be equipped with basic literacy and numerical and knowledge of surroundings where he live. We all are aware of how difficult is to get approval of aided school from government and under dealings one has to go through
What should we do?
We have to be innovative, dreamer and adopt Vision of Pandit Jawarlal Nehru who used to say let us find “ Unity amongst diversity” In other words decentralization of primary education and removal of bureaucracy and political hurdles is only way if we have make India literate. Why one needs to obtain approval of government to start the primary school. Let the primary education be decentralized to district level. Government should disburse the funds on performance basis. We have 630 districts. Out of which 587 are rural districts. Unfortunately 150 districts are affected by naxalite violence. As primary education aims at to make the child capable to read write, do arithmetic calculations, know his surroundings and bring out his talented gifts which he possess, any one who joins the movement to literate India be given free hand . Child be allowed to choose his own pattern of learning. What is needed some mechanism to assess the children’s competency whether they have acquired the requisite knowledge generally expected from students who passes the IV class exam at school level. States can provide such mechanism by establishing centralized examining authority at District level. This examining authority will be on similar pattern, as at present State Education Board for Secondary and Higher secondary examinations and its head quarter in district will head quarter of district with sub offices at talukas level. These Boards will receive grants directly
from central and states goverment and not through zilla Parishads. They will conduct exams for IV and VIII class and disburse the funds directly to Students and institutions based on their performances. Any one who wishes to be part of literacy campaign simply has to register with the exam authority and teach students
District Board will conduct exams for class IV and issue the certificate name as Primary School Certificate. (P.S.C) Syllabuses will normally be same as prescribed by state governments in their states for standard/class IV for their primary section. Exam will consists of five papers of 100 marks each. The papers will @ Language, As per Child’s choice, Mathematics, E.V.S comprising of natural science and environment studies, Social science. Paper will consists of history, district geography and civics laying importance on district administration and local self government at district level, Moral Science & Personality Development. This paper will consist of Moral values (25 Marks), Physical and Health education (25 marks), Fine art (50 marks.) i.e creative Activities, like dramas, drawing, Music, social or vocational activities etc. .Pattern of exam will be so designed that it will discourage the cramming and develop creative activity amongst children. Children will have, option to bring prescribed text books in Exam hall for reference if they so desire Recitation, handwriting will part of exam Child will have option to set at least two his own questions ( ten marks each) and write the answers to them Purpose of to the exam is to establish that child is able to read, write, know simple mathematics, knows his district and its history, and his development Initially examination would be conducted quarterly in first week of January April, July, Oct, which later on it will be conducted on line as and when child opt for it to appear in exam.. Student shall have an option to appear in examination either in single paper or in multiple papers or in all the papers at time as he desires he will be deemed to have passed the exam when he clear all the papers.
Student will be granted passing certificate after having achieved minimum proficiency in each paper which shall be 40 % of marks. He will have option to transfer excess marks secured in any other subject scored over and above 50 % in any of other two subjects, subject to the limit of 10 marks. On getting passing certificate child shall be eligible to get admission in lower secondary course along with Voucher and continue his study
Second stage is lower secondary or upper primary, wherein child in age group of 11 to 13 years, is supposed to study in class from V to VIII of the present system. He is supposed to study and acquire knowledge which we normally expect from the students on passing VIII class exam. To assess the child’s competency whether he has achieve the standard normally expected from students who passes the VIII standard he has pass the exam conducted by centralized Board established at district level which would be conducting School Certificate. (P.S.C). The exam conducted the Board will be known as “Lower Secondary Certificate” (L.S.C). The Examination is to test the child in achieving proficiency, normally expected from child who presently passes VIII standard examination. Syllabus will be same as prescribed by state governments in their states, for standard/class VIII for their
Exam will consists of seven papers of 100 marks each. The papers will @ 1.Language, (Mother tongue or state language), 2. English, 3 Hindi. (In case child’s mother tongues is not Hindi or state language child can opt for his mother tongue language by compositing with Hindi or state language. Child whose mother tongue or state language is Hindi he will opt any of the other state language in place of Hindi, 4. General Mathematics, 5. Science (Physics, chemistry,, Biology and E.V.S.), 6 Social science (History, Geography and civics), 7. Moral Science, and Personality Development. This paper will consist of Moral value (25 Marks), Physical and Health education (25 marks), Fine art (50 marks.) i.e creative activities, like dramas, drawing, Music, social or any vocational subject like repairs to home appliances, agriculture, or fishery, etc .Pattern of examination will be designed and conducted in such way that it will discourage the cramming and develop creative activity amongst children. The Exam will be and conducted on similar pattern as prescribed for primary school certificate
Each student who passes the lower secondary certificate exam would be given voucher of Rs 4000/-along with passing result. Voucher received by student would be utilized by him in paying his/her fees when he seeks admissions in Higher Secondary courses. All the recognized schools whether aided or unaided schools and any one who is registered with board, will get grant of Rs 3000/- for every student who completes and passes the L.S.C. Exam.
Third level be will be called Higher Secondary stage, wherein children in age group of 14 to 18 are supposed to study from IX, to XII classes /standard of present system, and would directly appear in H.S.C. Exam. The exam would be known as “Higher Secondary Certificate” (H.S.C.)” This examination will conduct by either by State/centre Secondary Education Boards. .which numbered The Examination is to achieve proficiency, which normally expected from child who presently passes Higher Secondary Exam. Syllabus normally would be same as prescribed by various examining boards. The Exam will consist of six papers of 100 marks each. The Child has to select one language paper of his choice, Information technology and four papers from any off following groups
Group A (Arts Group )
1.) Any one or two languages falling under schedule eighth of our constitution | 2) Classical language |
3) Political science, | 3) History |
5) Geography | 6).Civic and Indian Administration |
7).Philosophy | 8). .Economics |
9).Logic | 10) Child development |
11) Co operation | 12) Psychology |
13) Home science | 14) Defense studies |
15) information technology | 16) Education. |
Group B ( Science Group)
.) Hindi/English | 2) Physics |
3) Chemistry | 4.) Biology |
5) Zoology | 6) Economics |
7) Mathematics and statistic | 8)Geology |
9) computer science. | 10)Astronomy |
Group C ( Commerce Group)
1.Hindi/English | 2.) Economics |
3.) Secretarial Practice | 4 ) Financial accounts |
5) Commercial Mathematics | 6.)Small scale Industries and self employment |
7) Office Management | 8.)marketing and salesmanship |
9. Banking | 10) Insurance. |
11 Commerce organization. | 12) Retail business management |
Group D ( Vocational & Job Oriented Group)
1. crop Science | 2. Animal husbandry & Diary development |
3. Horticulture | 4 Repairs and maintenance of house hold appliances |
5. Bakery products | 6.Food processing |
7.milk and milk products | 8.Dolls and soft toys |
9.Hospitality & hotel studies | 10 Civic Engineering |
11 Mechanical engineering | 12Electonic Engineering |
13.Hand embroidery,, stitching & Swing | 14 Dyeing processing |
15 Bio Gas technology | 16 Plumbing & Wiring work |
17. Cultivation of Vegetable Crops | 17 Masonry |
Apart from this child would also study following two additional subjects @ at school level.1.Personality Development.2.Physical and Health education To discourage cramming and to develop creativity amongst children in each paper child would be permitted to set any one question of his choice and write answer for it. Children will have, option to bring the prescribed text books in Exam hall for reference if they so desire. Examination would be conducted three times in year in January and May and September with an option to examinee to appear in examination either in part exam or whole Exam at a time as he wishes e. He will be deemed to have passed the exam when he clears all the papers.
Student will be granted passing certificate after having achieved minimum proficiency in each paper which shall be 40 % of marks. He will have option to transfer excess marks secured in any other subject over and above 60 % to any other two subjects, subject to limit of 10 marks. The biggest advantage of this that child would be studying for four years in faculty of choice instead of two years in present system.
Financial aspect. Each student who passes the primary school certificate exam would be given voucher of Rs 3000/-. Voucher so received by student will be utilized by him in paying his/her fees when he seeks admissions in higher secondary course. All the recognized schools whether aided or unaided or persons registered with district board would get grant @ Rs 2000/- for every student who completes and passes the P.S.C. Exam. There would be no need to get approval of Government to start Primary School. In fact with enforcement RTE Act, and no failing policy, approval of government to start primary school has become redundant, Now child has simple go to any neighborhood recognized school and get him self enroll himself in the standard according to his age and school has no option but to enroll him. It may so happen that private recognized schools may take advantage of this opportunity and demand donations for his admissions. Secondly the government or government aided school would be more accountable as their salaries would be linked with students passing exam.
Government should here after only aim at providing infrastructure and other basic facilities @ School buildings, furniture and fixtures, teaching aids and other logistic support. Let actual teaching work be carried out by formal and informal schools. All the recognized government and aided school teachers who generally put in around five hours duty will be paid ad hoc amount Rs 5000/ per month and incentive on basis of students who pass the P.S.C exam as stated above To day we have 100 million senior citizens whose services can utilized effectively in providing the primary education. The budgeted expenses on payment on student account
would be Rs 759,000 millions i.e Rs 75,900 crores , assuming there would be253 million students and on institutional account or those who would be teaching students for exam would be Rs 50,600 crores totaling to Rs 126,500 crores With midday meal, on which we spent Ra 30,000 crores and Surva Shiksha Abhayanon which we spent 60,000/- crores when merged in this scheme, the net deficient would be only Rs 36,500 crores which would be compensated by reduction salary bills of Primary teachers. The biggest advantage is that with voucher scheme, there will be hardly any leakages in funds. Even if there is any leakage it would be ploughed back in education as voucher would only be utilized for education purpose only as it is in cashable in schools.
Advantages of new school system It is result oriented system. Payments are made on actual performances. New institutions which are generally approved on permanents grant basis would get benefits on their performances. Institutions which were approved in fifties and sixties on grant basis and are not accountable for their performances at present, would become accountable as they would be receiving grants on their performances.
